


A Stressful Time at ARC School

by Shane_for_Wax



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Clonecest, I tried my hand at fluff the best i could, M/M, cloneshipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:21:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28627941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shane_for_Wax/pseuds/Shane_for_Wax
Summary: Sometimes being in charge of training people has little to no reward. 17 finds himself constantly being disappointed with each new class that comes in for his training. Jaster decides to try to relax him (as platonically as possible).
Relationships: Alpha 17/Clone OC, Alpha 17/Jaster, Alpha 17/Original Clone Trooper Character(s)
Kudos: 11





	A Stressful Time at ARC School

Usually he didn’t feel this tired after a day of training, so to feel so worn down for no real reason bothered Seventeen more than he could say. His latest group of ARC hopefuls weren’t bad, but he felt many of them didn’t actually want to be an ARC. He had spent more time trying to impart knowledge of what it means to be ARC than he had getting them through the war games. 

He was looking over the assignments he had given his ‘cadets’, brow furrowing further and further as he read. Why weren’t they getting it? To be ARC was to be the best. They were half- _shebs_ ing their written work as well as their field training. He tossed the datapad he had been reading onto the desk. It still felt weird to have an office. Well, technically it had been Jango and Boba’s room but it belonged to the Alphas too. It was one of the first things Jango had insisted on them knowing: they belonged with their _buir_ and their younger _vod_. Their room was for all the Alphas to drop in when they wanted. Seventeen had been offered a different room on Kamino but he had declined. Next to that, he could easily sleep in this room but he felt far better sleeping in the barracks with the rest of the Alphas who for one reason or another were on Kamino. The Alphas rotated in and out of Kamino but there were always a handful or so ‘home’ at any one time. 

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, Seventeen leaned back in his chair. He eyed the stack of datapads still waiting for him to read. Deciding it was time for a break, Seventeen closed his eyes while stretching. As he did he heard the door hiss open. In the time it took to blink, Seventeen had pulled his service pistol and spun around to aim at the door. Jaster stood there, hands slightly up. 

“Just me, _ner vod_ ,” Jaster said, not at all offended. 

Seventeen rolled his eyes then shook his head before putting the handgun back in the thigh holster. 

Jaster closed the distance, his gaze falling on the datapads for a moment before going back to Seventeen. 

“You’ve been in here since the training session ended. What’s up?” Jaster asked. 

With a grunt, Seventeen turned the chair around to gesture at the datapads.

“Grading. Grading a bunch of _vode_ who couldn’t care less about being an ARC,” Seventeen grumbled. 

Jaster frowned. He leaned over the chair to gently rub the other man’s shoulders. He received a pleased groan in response which made him smile. 

“So don’t let them graduate,” he said. His thumbs pressed expertly into the man’s nape, close to where neck and shoulder met. A louder and happier moan escaped the larger ARC. 

“You know I can’t do that. They aren’t _failing_. They’re just--”

“Not acting like ARCs should.” 

Seventeen gave a slight nod in agreement. He sighed in relief as a muscle in his neck finally released thanks to Jaster’s ministrations. It was always the same muscle that tightened when he was stressed; it was pretty much the _only_ ‘symptom’ of his stress. But Jaster had always known it and always helped to loosen it. 

After a few more moments of silence, Seventeen pushed his chair back and turned it to stand up. Jaster let his hands drop, a smile still on his face. Seventeen faced the other Alpha then grabbed him by the pauldron, tugging on it to bring the man closer. Jaster allowed himself to be yanked close, delighting in the kiss that was his reward. Gently, Jaster slid his fingers through Seventeen’s hair then kissed him in return. 

“I’m sure your next class will be better,” Jaster said after a bit. 

Seventeen just sighed then shrugged. He lightly tapped his forehead to Jaster’s, wrapping his arms around the man possessively. Jaster couldn’t stop smiling despite Seventeen’s obvious frustration. 

“C’mon,” Jaster said after they had been standing like that for a couple minutes. Seventeen pulled back to look at him quizzically. Grinning, Jaster took Seventeen’s hand and dragged him over to the couch nearby. He loved that Seventeen had kept the furniture, especially for times like this. 

Jaster dropped onto the couch then tugged Seventeen down with him. He gave the other another kiss.

“Lie down,” Jaster said. Seventeen gave a confused look but did as told, lying lengthwise on the couch. His height meant he had no choice but to rest his head on Jaster’s lap which meant Jaster had known exactly that. With a cheeky look, Jaster stroked his fingers through Seventeen’s hair again. The larger ARC closed his eyes after a few brushes, sighing with content. 

“You’re not responsible for making our younger _vode_ to want to be ARCs. Merely training them to be as such.”

“I know. Still feels like a failure.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I’ve got some _ad’ike_ who specifically requested training already for your next class.” 

Seventeen opened his eyes, puffing out a soft laugh. “That’s definitely preferable to having these white jobs put forward by their non-ARC COs.”

With or without bias, Seventeen had always found Jaster’s picks to be perfect for training and going on to do great things as ARCs. But of course Jaster knew what to look for in his cadets far more than a non-ARC would. 

“It takes one to know one,” Jaster agreed, fingers beginning to gently massage the other ARC’s scalp. 

For a while they just sat on the couch together, Jaster alternating between massaging and brushing his fingers through Seventeen’s hair. 

Seventeen was so still and so quiet that if Jaster didn’t know better he would have thought the other man had fallen asleep, but he did know better and knew he was perfectly awake. But at least he _was_ far more relaxed.

“I love you,” Seventeen breathed thickly, sounding sleepy and yet fully aware of what he had just said. 

“I love you too,” Jaster responded, resting his hand on Seventeen’s shoulder. 

That seemed to be the key, allowing Seventeen to actually drift off to sleep, using Jaster’s thighs as a pillow. Grading could wait a while longer to be finished. 


End file.
